# Multimorbidity is significantly associated with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults

## TL;DR

This study finds that having multiple chronic diseases is strongly linked to higher rates of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

## Contribution

The study identifies a significant association between multimorbidity and depressive symptoms in Chinese adults aged 45 and older.

## Key findings

- Participants with two or more chronic conditions had 2.34 times higher odds of depressive symptoms.
- The association was consistent across age, sex, and BMI subgroups.
- Chronic liver disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes were individually linked to depressive symptoms.

## Abstract

Chronic diseases and depressive symptoms are prevalent global health concerns. This study examined the association between multimorbidity and depressive symptoms in the middle-aged and older adults.

This cross-sectional study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, China, 2011–2020), including 18,551 adults aged ≥45 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (score ≥10). We analyzed associations for each chronic disease and for their coexistence.

After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, chronic liver disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Participants with ≥2 of these conditions had higher odds of depressive symptoms (OR = 2.34, 95 % CI: 1.89, 2.89). Subgroup analyses showed consistent associations within strata. In age-stratified analyses, adjusted ORs were 2.96 for participants <60 years and 2.26 for those ≥60 years. In sex-stratified analyses, adjusted ORs were 2.26 for females and 2.70 for males. In body mass index analyses (BMI), adjusted ORs were 3.60 for <24 kg/m2 and 1.88 for ≥24 kg/m2.

Multimorbidity was significantly associated with depressive symptoms among Chinese adults aged ≥45 years. These associations were consistent in sex, age, and BMI.

•Depressive symptoms linked to chronic diseases and rose with multimorbidity.•Multimorbidity related to depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults.•Multimorbidity was associated with depressive symptoms in both males and females.

Depressive symptoms linked to chronic diseases and rose with multimorbidity.

Multimorbidity related to depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults.

Multimorbidity was associated with depressive symptoms in both males and females.